AbdulAlhazred
Legend
Well, the players only choices here are those presented by the GM. GM says "there is a homestead", sure the players can say "nope, not going there" but then the ball is back in the GM's court! At some point there are a finite number of meaningfully distinct actions the PCs could take in terms of "we are going on to a new scene now." Each of those is a 'menu choice' presented by the GM, unless the players decide to attempt to take control of the narrative. Classic RPGs don't give that option, so the story still comes entirely from the GM in that type of system.You're probably right that my (somewhat dogmatic) terminology obfuscates meaningful decisions, but I would point out that in your exampe, the DM introduces the homestead-- but who went to the homestead? The DM introduces orcs as a consequences of a failed roll, but who failed the roll, who failed the action that introduced the orcs as a consequence?
In terms of going into the homestead, sure, but again there's a finite menu of options that are genre appropriate, etc. It isn't action declarations that make it possible for the players to get control, it is the way BW allows action resolution to be told by the player, not the GM.
Right, so I think the difference between trad and Story Now, at least in how I've seen it, WRT the plot is that trad games are menus of choices, the GM writes the menus, the players only pick from those. At best they 'pick' a choice the GM didn't write down, and he pretends he did, and serves up his rendition of that.You say that Thurgon and Aramina have to fight off the orcs, but do they? Can they not attempt to evade them, and flee? Can they not attempt to cut a deal with the orcs? Can they not attempt to lure all of the orcs into the homestead before they burn it down with all of them inside?
There's an important distinction to be had between "player authored" and "DM authored" content, and it's a blurry enough line without my refusing to acknowledge it. But it's likewise an important perspective for both official and homebrew adventure design that players can choose to engage with content, regardless of who authors it, in any way they please-- up to and including declining to engage with it at all. It's an important perspective to remember that players and PCs are not supposed to do anything, and should not be expected to do anything, except show up to the table willing to do something.
Story now games universally, IME (albeit perhaps limited) provide that when a player attempts an action, they get to describe the desired outcome of success, and the only bounds on that are genre and maybe willingness of the rest of the table to accept whatever the player offers.
Now, in some game systems this stuff can be limited to specific sorts of actions, or require the spending of meta-currency, or whatever. Pretty universally though, the GM is disallowed from saying 'no'. Its not HIS STORY to present, there is no preordained path at all. A LOT of traditional RPG players insist there's no difference, oddly, which always bemuses me, lol.